"…Ray."
That was he had muttered while reaching out with to her with the last of his breath.
Everything else afterwards had happened as if it was a whirlwind: The Arc V had collapsed on itself along with the central room of the Academia hall, everyone had been running in panic, pushing in between each other while trying to avoid the falling debris, it had been only after roaring an order that the owners of the biggest flying monsters had been instructed to take in as many people as they could.
"…Ray."
After Reiji managed to let the last of them ride a white and green dragon he allowed himself to sigh looking down at his broken duel disk and readied himself for the impact, trying not to hear his name being screamed over the chaos.
"…Ray."
He did it, everyone was safe… 'This is fine', he thought closing his eyes.
.
.
.
He opened his eyes, just to close them again as he was blinded by an intense light, in front of him the shape of a young woman stood with one card lifted as a rainbow colored shield was summoned on top of them.
"…Ray."
"…You are…"
"Nice to meet you… little brother." The voice of Ray – not Akaba, never Akaba – resonated to him.
She was here, alive, and she saved him, and was now summoning a vast stunning bird made of light and reached out to him a smile on her face as she put a couple of pink goggles on.
'Nice to meet you' she said… He couldn't say he returned the feeling.
Reiji still took her hand
§
When they returned to Maiami City they had been imagining – dreading – many, many scenarios, and at least in Sawatari's case he was probably expecting a welcoming party full of fanfare, and cheering; they probably expected any scenario other than landing on his office; dark unoccupied but still pristine and ample, even if it smelt a bit like moths, or like a wardrobe you have not opened in a while.
It was pointless to focus on such details, he knew that, but Reiji's only other option was to focus on that person standing on the room, close to Reira, to his person, 'too close'.
The fact that except for some shuffling around, everyone was quiet, it only made everything eerier, he wished for Nakajima or even his mother to storm into the office so they would shower them with all types of questions anything to stop the deafening silence that left him no choice but to dwell on his thoughts.
"So really is anyone going to ask how this is possible?" the question fell like a pin in an abyss and everyone turned to the source: Sawatari, with his ever so misplaced… timing and non-existent tact, was now pointing and looking back and forth in between Yuzu Hiragi and Ray.
The other girls stayed back, but the question remained.
And Reiji tried to convince himself that the only reason he was not rubbing his temple, was because his arm was twitching almost uncontrollably.
Twitching not trembling, most definitely not trembling.
"Beats me." She said with a shrug, and looking at her face – no matter how much he didn't want to - Reiji could tell she was lying.
In hindsight maybe it was better that his mother was not around.
§
"…Ray."
The celebrations came the next day, and the next, and the day after that too.
After a while all the fireworks and confetti looks the same, the roars and cheers blend into themselves and impossible to differentiate, he tells himself that it was out of necessity, for he is not sure he would have been able to handle it all: the interviews, the presents, the documentaries, the praise.
If someone would ask Reiji now about those days, he is not sure he would be able to provide a good answer, the only thing he is sure is that in all that time he could never shake the feeling of being a fraud.
They know nothing – and he knows it is better that way, or his mother says – but the feeling remains nonetheless.
Nobody knows that Reiji's plan failed, that he knew nothing, nor that he saved no one.
"…Ray."
§
"Have any of you heard anything from Reiji since that last um… ceremony?"
Yuya's drowsiness was dispelled the moment he heard Reiji's name, and he looked around to see who made the question, he didn't expect Sawatari to be peering down at him with a concerned look on his face.
"Not really." Answered Yuzu, who have been in as similar state as him it seemed.
"Sometimes Reira texts me." He said in an afterthought.
"But I guess nothing about him." Guessed Yuzu.
"Nothing too big." He said. "Although if they share meal's schedules I know what he eats every day." He said.
Of course both of them stared at him with a sweat drop but he really had nothing else to add, if anything every time Reira send him something like. 'I saw my brother today' or 'Brother went to another meeting' or the unforgettable 'We went to the park and ate ice-cream today' Yuya felt the urge to ask him for details, but every time he stopped midway to write the message.
Then there was also the: 'My brother says he is busy, but I think he doesn't want to see her'
He had a good guess as to who 'her' was.
"So he hasn't been around the LDS lately?" he heard Yuzu ask now that his reverie was broken.
"Oh he has been around, he's just not been seen by anyone outside of public appearances." Answered Sawatari with a flick of his hand.
"Oh I was thinking on dropping by but…" she said trailing off.
"Yeah… its fine don't bother" said Sawatari looking to the side, and Yuya agreed really, nobody would blame Yuzu is she decided she never wanted to talk to Reiji, or put a foot inside the LDS buildings for as long as she lived.
After all she was there.
"…I would lie if I say it doesn't bother me, but… it's not a bad feeling?" Yuzu started twirling a hair lock on her fingers. "I do want to talk to her, but it's nothing overwhelming just a hunch, but mostly I'm worried." She finished
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, besides the fact that he looks really… tired, there is this thing that happened the last time..."
§
"…Ray."
It was finally over, after yet another press event, of yet the same questions – if phrased differently – of yet more photos and insidious comments, he had made his best to limit his answers as much as possible but he guessed they wouldn't be reporters if they were anything but persistent.
"…Here you can wash your hands."
He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that voice, it came from the hallway where the signals and the faint lighting told him it was where the restrooms were placed, yet the feminine voice came from the one on the left.
"Can you reach the paper towels? The voice asked once more… silence and then some shuffling. "Here let me help you."
Reiji raced through the hallway and opened the door with a not-so-gentle slam.
"Reira!" the light of the restroom blinded him momentarily, but not enough for him to miss the outlines of two people inside.
Both surrounded by light, always light.
"…I was just, I mean I know this is the men's bathroom, but he was alone and nee-"She was talking now but he walked past her, not even sparing a look to her to grab Reira by his small shoulders peering over him as if looking for injuries.
"Let's go." Reiji was aware that his hold on him was not exactly soft, but his mind was in a rush and right now the only thing it mattered was to get her away from him, he would apologize to Reira later.
"Wait, he forgot his-" she started placing her hand on his forearm he turned to face her finally as he slapped her hand away but whatever she was about to say stopped when she peered up at him with fear in her eyes.
Up, not front, with fear rather than defiance, Ray was not afraid of him, how would she? She had faced the Demon Duelist not once, but twice now, in comparison he was nothing.
He always was.
"Yuzu Hiragi." He adjusted his glassed to the sight of her, no longer afraid but wary, he couldn't blame her.
"Um, here." She said handing Reira his stuffed toy – not before smiling at him – and almost ran out of the place and Reira looked up at him something akin to reproach shining in his eyes.
"Brother that… was not nice."
No it wasn't.
§
*BEEP*
He was jolted awake in his desk, not a very dignified position, but it was late and he had not slept very well in the last few weeks, given his current workload and neglection of his meals, he supposed this was his body protesting to the mistreatment.
"What is it Nakajima?"
*…Sir, I apologize, it nothing of importance I'll dealt with it inmedia-*
*Oi! I'm talking to you! Or are you not done pretending I don't exist?!*
"…Ray."
'You're not supposed to exist' Reiji could feel the beginning of a monumental headache on his temples.
While tried – with little success – to calm himself, he realized that the radio line must have been left open because he got to hear several… interesting noises, yelling, curses, and some shattering glass even.
Enough was enough.
"Nakajima" he spoke pressing the button a place in his mind reeling at this action, questioning his decision, whether his forethought had flew outside the window… along with his sanity.
*…Sir?* he heard after some more struggling noises, and he since Nakajima's voice came quite stranded he could only guess in what position he was.
"Let her come in, I will deal with this." He spoke making sure to sound as commanding as possible, even as he could feel his other hand gripping tightly at his desk.
"…But the Madam said-" Reiji felt his eyes narrow at this.
"Nakajima," he repeated "I'm waiting."
.
.
.
...And so are we right? I feel so evil for leaving this chapter like this buuuut worry not there's more to come from this mess.
This is basically an experiment of "What if?" Ray would have revived after Zarc's defeat.
So... originally this was going to be a one-shot, but the the plot bunnies visited with an idea that promises to increase the hurt in all types of levels so this will be splitted in four parts :P